News and Notes cont'd
August, 2005
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examination has been increased from 180 classroom hours (four three-hour graduate courses) to 225 classroom hours (five three-hour courses) of specified coursework. The BCABA coursework requirement has increased from 90 classroom hours (two three-hour courses) to 135 classroom hours (three three-hour courses).

• Examination Qualification
Experience Requirements
The experience requirements to qualify for the examinations and the qualifications for those who may supervise have now been increased as well. New university practica categories have been added to provide universities the opportunity to have both their coursework and experience components approved by the BACB. The new coursework requirements are currently in effect, and the new experience requirements will be phased-in over the next year. Please note that effective September 1, 2006, all experience obtained to qualify individuals for certification examination must be supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Persons who begin obtaining experience prior to this date may continue to accrue experience under their existing supervisor.

• Examination Administration Format
The Fall 2005 examination will be administered in a new computer-based testing format delivered through the Pearson VUE network of high-security, standardized testing centers. Person VUE is one of the largest and best-respected high-stakes certification and licensure testing organizations in the world. They specialize in professional and technology credentialing and have an impressive list of clients including Microsoft, Adobe, Agilent Technologies, IBM, Siemens, Sun Microsystems, American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Surgery, Institute of Business and Finance, and many

 

others. Pearson VUE will have over 200 testing sites in the US and over 150 sites outside the US available for BACB candidates, with no restrictions on the number of candidates required per site. In addition, the BACB anticipates increasing the opportunity for examination by providing three administrations per year rather than the current two. The three administrations will be scheduled based on university graduation date data so as to minimize the time between graduation and certification. Once approved by the BACB, candidates will contact their local Pearson VUE test center and schedule an individual examination time during the available two-week testing window. Together these measures should greatly increase test access and candidate convenience while significantly reducing the travel, lodging and other costs often associated with taking the examinations. Our long-term goals include video stimuli test items, on-demand test administration, and on-site grading of tests with immediate pass/fail notification. More information about Pearson Vue can be found at
www.vue.com.

• Examination Content
The Fall 2005 examination administration also will introduce new examination instruments based on the Third Edition Task List. This development is the result of a multi-year Job Analysis survey and examination renewal process to update the examination content and test item bank. The BACB wishes to thank the hundreds of certificants and other behavior analysts who participated in this important project.

All of the increases in applicant requirements and major refinements to the certification process help take the BACB, its credentials, and its new certificants to